Device with granular material filling

ABSTRACT

A device is provided that includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the device is in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit via the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, wherein the device contains a granular material which can absorb an amount of fluid from the refrigerant, wherein the amount of granular material contained in the device is calculated according to the formula MG=W/WA, where MG is the mass in [g] of the granular material contained in the device, W is the total amount of fluid in [g] that can be absorbed by the granular material, and WA is the amount of fluid that can be absorbed per gram of granular material.

This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/067182, which was filed on Aug. 11, 2014, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2013 217 072.6, which was filed in Germany on Aug. 27, 2013, and which are both herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the device is in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit via the fluid inlet and fluid outlet and the device has a granular material which can absorb an amount of fluid from the refrigerant.

2. Description of the Background Art

In refrigerant circuits of air conditioners for motor vehicles, condensers are used to cool the refrigerant down to the condensation temperature and to condense the refrigerant. Condensers regularly have a collector in which a refrigerant volume is made available to equalize fluctuations in volume in the refrigerant circuit and to achieve stable sub-cooling of the refrigerant.

Often additional components for drying and/or filtering the refrigerant are provided in the collector. The components for drying is thereby regularly provided by a granular material. The granular material takes up a fraction of the collector or condenser volume, whereby the fill volume is reduced for the refrigerant.

The space available for the condenser or the collector within the motor vehicle continues to decrease, so that the overall interior volume of the condenser or the collector to be implemented must also steadily be reduced.

A disadvantage of the solutions according to the prior art is in particular that the receiving volume of the condenser, or the collector for the refrigerant, continuously decrease due to the arrangement of the granulate for drying the refrigerant and due to the increasingly smaller dimensions of the condenser or the collector. This leads to reduced temperature stability in the condenser and thus to a negative impact on the refrigerant circuit. Moreover, it is disadvantageous that due to customer demands, an ever greater fluid receiving capacity of the granulate contained in the condenser or the collector is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is the object of the invention to provide a device that contains a granulate for drying the refrigerant, which provides the largest possible fluid absorbing capacity and at the same time, takes up the smallest possible volume.

An embodiment of the invention relates to a device having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the device is in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit via the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the device having a granulate which can absorb an amount of fluid from the refrigerant, wherein the amount of granulate contained in the device is calculated according to the formula

MG=W/WA,

wherein MG denotes the mass in [g] of the granulate contained in the device, W denotes the total amount of fluid that can be absorbed by the granulate, and WA denotes the amount of fluid that can be absorbed per gram of granulate.

A calculation of the granulate contained in the device according to the formula specified above is particularly advantageous, as in this way, the configuration of the amount of granulate occurs in the refrigerant circuit or in the condenser, based on the amount of fluid to be absorbed.

It is particularly advantageous when the amount of fluid to be absorbed per gram of granulate WA lies within a range of 0.1 to 0.4, preferably within a range of 0.2 to 0.3, preferably within a range of 0.23 to 0.25.

An amount of fluid per gram of granulate that can be absorbed in the range specified above is particularly advantageous since at a lowest possible overall volume of granulate, a largest possible amount of fluid can be absorbed. This results in advantages with respect to the required installation space of the device or a collector attached to the device that holds the granulate.

It is also preferable when the volume of the granulate contained in the device is calculated in proportion to the amount of fluid that can generally be absorbed by the granulate, according to the formula:

VG/W=1/(WA/SG),

wherein VG denotes the volume of the granulate in [cm³], W denotes the overall amount of fluid in [g] that can be absorbed by the granulate, WA denotes the amount of fluid that can be absorbed per gram of granulate, and SG denotes the bulk density in [g/cm³].

On the basis of such a formula, the volume of the granulate contained in the device can easily be calculated. The volume contained is thereby directly dependent on the amount of fluid that can be absorbed within the device.

The volume of the granulate contained in the device can lie within a range of 4.4 cm³/g to 7 cm³/g and preferably within a range of 4.7 cm³/g to 6.2 cm³/g, preferably at approximately 6 cm³/g.

Such a proportion of the granulate volume contained in the device to the overall amount of fluid that the granulate can absorb is particularly advantageous, as the volume required can be kept relatively low in contrast to a conventional granulate, which regularly requires a greater volume per amount of fluid that is to be absorbed.

The fluid absorbed by the granulate can be water.

Advantageously, water contained or entrained in the refrigerant is absorbed by the granulate. In this way, water is removed from the refrigerant and the refrigerant is dried.

It is also expedient when the device has a collector, wherein the collector is disposed in an area of the device, which forms the transition point from the majority of fluid refrigerant to the majority of fluid sub-cooled refrigerant, wherein the collector contains the granulate.

A collector is particularly advantageous for cleansing the refrigerant in order to provide a storage volume via which fluctuations in the refrigerant volume within the refrigerant circuit can be equalized, and in order to dry the refrigerant. Drying is thereby based in particular on the removal of water from the refrigerant, for example, via granulate.

A collector thereby preferably represents a unit attached to the device, which is in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit in the interior of the condenser. The transfer of fluid from the device to the collector is thereby preferably arranged in an area, which is positioned downstream of the condensation section of the condenser and upstream of the sub-cooling section. The transfer of fluid from the collector to the device preferably also takes place downstream of the condensation section and upstream of the sub-cooling section of the condenser, but downstream of the fluid transfer into the collector.

In addition, the granulate can be contained by a receiving structure in the device and/or in the collector, wherein the receiving structure prevents the granulate from being flushed out.

The granulate can be held together, for example, via a net-like material such that a flow of the refrigerant is possible through the net-like material and past the granulate.

The net-like material thereby primarily serves to secure the granulate in the device or in the collector in order to prevent the granulate from flushing out. For example, the granulate can also be arranged in a flow-through dryer cartridge, which can be easily maintained and replaced.

The granulate can have a binder-free structure. A binder-free structure is particularly advantageous, as binders generally also have no or only a very limited ability to receive and absorb a fluid, such as for example water.

The binder-free structure allows the volume portion that is usually occupied by the binder to be filled with the granulate. In this way, the capacity of the granulate to absorb fluid is overall increased, whereby at an unchanging volume, a greater amount of fluid can be absorbed as compared to with a granulate having a binder.

The device and/or the collector can have a filter for filtering refrigerant, the filter can be formed of, for example, a latticework, webbing, non-woven fabric, etc. This is particularly advantageous for freeing the refrigerant from dirt particles. This way, a high quality of the refrigerant can be guaranteed as long as possible.

It is also advantageous, if the granulate contained in the device and/or in the collector is a binder-free zeolite granulate with a faujasite structure.

A binder-free zeolite granulate is particularly advantageous for absorbing a largest possible amount of fluid at the smallest possible granulate volume.

Zeolites generally are classified as crystalline aluminosilicates. In particular, synthetic zeolites are of economic importance. Zeolites having a faujasite structure are divided into two groups. Zeolites with a molar SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio greater than 3.0 are referred to as Y-zeolites; zeolites with a molar SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio lesser than 3.0 are known as X-zeolites.

Particularly advantageous is a zeolite having a molar SiO₂/Al₂O₃ proportion greater than 3.0 and an average diameter of the granulate molding of greater than 400 μm. The average transport pore diameter is advantageously greater than 150 nm, wherein the portion of mesopores of the zeolite lies below 15%, preferably below 10%.

Other types of binder-free granulates having comparable structures and features may also be used in the device, in the collector or in the condenser.

According to an embodiment, the device can be a condenser, in particular for the condensation of a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle.

The device can be an accumulator, in particular for storing a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle.

Also, the device can be a combination unit comprised of a plurality of aggregates, such as in particular a condenser having an accumulator.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein the sole FIGURE illustrates a schematic view of a condenser with a tube-rib design, wherein a collector is arranged at one of the collection tubes of the condenser, which has a filter for filtering, drying and storing the refrigerant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventive device is described below as a condenser on the basis of an exemplary embodiment. This however is not limiting, wherein the inventive device may also consist of an accumulator or a combination unit, for example of a condenser and an accumulator or a different type of device.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a condenser 1 in a tube-rib design. The condenser 1 is comprised of a plurality of tubes 5 extending parallel to one another, which in each case are inserted at the end in a first collection tube 2 and a second collection tube 3. The tubes 5 are connected to the collection tubes 2, 3 in a fluid-tight manner. A fluid inlet 6 is disposed at the left collection tube 2 in the upper region, and a fluid outlet 7 is disposed in the lower region of the collection tube 2. The condenser 1 is in fluid communication with a refrigerant circuit of, for example, a motor vehicle, via the fluid inlet 6 and the fluid outlet 7.

Numerous partitions are arranged in the interior of the collection tubes 2 or 3, which divide the interior of the respective collection tube 2, 3 into several sections separated from one another. This forms a condensation section and a sub-cooling section within the condenser 1. The refrigerant thereby flows along the fluid inlet 6 into the upper region of the collection tube 2, which is separated by a partition, and from there, through a section of the tubes 5 into the upper region of the collection tube 3. There, a deflection takes place with the refrigerant flowing through a further section of the tubes 5, back into a central area within the collection tube 2. There, the refrigerant is again deflected and flows along a further section of the tubes 5 into a central area within collection tube 3.

A collector 4 is disposed at the outer periphery of the collection tube 3. This collector 4 is substantially formed by a cylindrical tube, which is closed at its upper and lower ends. In this collector 4, a filter for filtering and drying as well as storing the refrigerant that flows through the condenser 1 are provided. The collector 4 is attached to the collection tube 3 in the region denoted by the reference numeral 8. Also in this region 8, the transfer of the refrigerant from the collection tube 3 into the collector 4 and from the collector 4 back into the collection tube 3 takes place. The transfer of fluid into the collector 4 is thereby separated by a partition in the collection tube 3 from the area of the fluid flowing out of the collector 4.

The refrigerant fed into the central area of the collection tube 3 passes through into the collector 4. In the collector 4, the refrigerant is dried by a granulate disposed in the collector 4, wherein substantially, water is removed from it. Furthermore, the filter for filtering a refrigerant can be provided in the collector 4, which removes dirt particles from the refrigerant that have been entrained.

In addition, the interior volume of the collector 4 forms a storage space, which is designed to store a defined amount of refrigerant. In the collector 4, the fluid phase of the refrigerant continues to be separated from the gaseous phase. The gaseous phase of the refrigerant preferably collects in the upper region of the collector 4. From the collector 4, the refrigerant finally flows to a lower region of the collection tube 3 and from there, via tubes 5 positioned below, to a lower region of the collection tube 2. From there, the refrigerant exits the condenser through the fluid outlet 7.

The condenser shown in FIG. 1 represents an exemplary embodiment of a condenser having a laterally arranged collector 4 in a tube-rib design. In alternative embodiments, for example, the number of partitions provided in the collection tubes 2, 3 can vary, as well as the arrangement and the position of the collector 4 on the condenser 1.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the granulate, which serves for drying the refrigerant, is disposed within the collector 4. In alternative embodiments, embodiments can be provided in which the granulate is arranged in one of the collection tubes or in another section of the condenser or the refrigerant circuit.

The granulate may be absorbed in the interior of the collector 4, for example by a web material, which can prevent the granulate from being inadvertently flushed out of the collector 4. Alternatively, the granulate can, for example, be absorbed in a tube-shaped solid body, which enables fluid communication via perforations between the interior and exterior of the solid body.

In advantageous embodiments, in particular the portion of the collector 4 which contains the granulate or the filter for filtering can be easily replaced. To this end, for example, a threaded connection between a so-called dryer cartridge and a receptacle can be provided, or a bayonet closure.

As an alternative to the condenser shown in FIG. 1 in the tube-rib design, a condenser may also be provided with a stacking disc design. A condenser with a stacking disc design in particular is characterized in that the individual flow channels and collection areas in the interior of the condenser are formed by stacking numerous disc elements. The disc stack thereby defines the condenser. A clever design of the individual disc elements can deliver advantageous fluid guidance within the condenser. Various examples of condensers with a stacking disc design structure are known from the prior art.

The condenser embodiment shown in FIG. 1 generally has no restrictive effect on the condenser or collector design. It is solely an exemplary representation in order to clarify the inventive idea. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet, the device being in fluid communication with a refrigerant circuit via the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and a granulate that absorbs an amount of fluid from the refrigerant, the amount of granulate contained in the device being calculated according to the formula: MG=W/WA, wherein MG is the mass in [g] of the granulate contained in the device, W is the total amount of fluid in [g] that is absorbable by the granulate, and WA is the amount of fluid that is absorbable per gram of granulate.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the amount of fluid per gram of granulate WA that is absorbable lies within a range of 0.1 to 0.4, within a range of 0.2 to 0.3, or within a range of 0.23 to 0.25.
 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the granulate contained in the device in proportion to the amount of fluid that is absorbable by the granulate is calculated according to the formula: VG/W=1/(WA/SG), wherein VG is the volume of the granulate in [cm³], W is the overall amount of fluid in [g] that is absorbable by the granulate, WA is the amount of fluid that is absorbable per gram of granulate, and SG is the bulk density in [g/cm³].
 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the granulate contained in the device in proportion to the amount of fluid that is absorbable by the granulate lies within a range of 4.4 cm³/g to 7 cm³/g or within a range of 4.7 cm³/g to 6.2 cm³/g or at approximately 6 cm³/g.
 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid absorbed by the granulate is water.
 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a collector, wherein the collector is arranged in an area of the device in which a majority of fluid refrigerant transfers to a majority of fluid sub-cooled refrigerant, and wherein the collector holds the granulate.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the granulate is contained in the device and/or a collector by a receiving structure, and wherein the receiving structure prevents the granulate from inadvertently flushing out.
 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the granulate comprises a binder-free structure.
 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device and/or a collector comprises a filter for filtering the refrigerant.
 10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the granulate contained in the device and/or in a collector is a binder-free zeolite granulate with a faujasite structure.
 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a condenser for condensing a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle.
 12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an accumulator for storing a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of a motor vehicle.
 13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a combination unit comprising a plurality of aggregates or condensers having an accumulator. 